1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a single-piece stamped and formed electrical receptacle terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many applications in the electrical industry it is a continuous requirement to provide more cost-effective yet more compact, sturdy and reliable electrical terminals. In certain applications, for example in the automotive industry, it is a further requirement that such terminals are suitable for assembly into sealed connector housings as many automotive connectors require sealing. It is common to find electrical terminals stamped and formed from sheet metal that have a connection section such as a crimp barrel for connection to a conducting wire, further comprising a contact section for connection to a complementary terminal, and means for securing the terminal within the cavity of a connector housing. It is common to find receptacle terminals for mating with tab or pin terminals to have resilient cantilever beam contact arms extending from opposed sides of the terminal to receive the complementary pin or tab therebetween. In certain applications, an additional outer spring body stamped and formed from a stronger material such as stainless steel is positioned around the contact section of the terminal and serves to provide means for securing the terminal within the connector housing and extra spring support for increasing the spring strength of the inner contact arms. Such an outer spring body often has the effect of protecting the inner contact area thus making the receptacle terminal more robust, but also increases the contact pressure and provides a stronger support for securing of the terminal in a connector housing.
It would be advantageous to re-unite the advantages of having an outer body around an inner receptacle contact section, and of a terminal that can be easily inserted through holes of a sealing material without causing damage thereto for reliable assembly in a sealed connector, and of protecting the inner receptacle contact section from damage either by false insertion of a complementary tab terminal, entanglement or other such external influences. Furthermore, the terminal should be cost-effective to manufacture.
There are also certain applications where there is a need for short circuiting adjacent contacts in a connector housing e.g. in automotive airbag detonator connectors where a short circuit between adjacent contacts must be created to prevent detonation of the airbag when connectors are separated. Provision of a separate outer body around an inner contact body may not be reliable due to the possibly poor electrical connection therebetween. Furthermore, it is typical to provide a separate short circuit spring member that interconnects adjacent terminals. The latter is thus an additional part which is costly, and requires additional space in the connector housing. It would be advantageous to provide a more cost-effective and reliable terminal for short circuit applications, and that is also compact.